Just to add a word: Hackerspaces are popular specifically because forums are a piss-poor way to learn most hardware stuff and share projects. You can share tips on how to open and operate a hackerspace, you can share some ideas, but let's face it, the more time you spend talking about projects on the internet, the less time you spend actually making stuff.

If you're not doing a project on your own, remote collaboration works OK for software, but not that much for hardware.For hardware, you need to be in a common space, and do some hands-on sharing. It's learning by doing, instead of learning by reading (and trying to do later).

I'll support this. I've done a number of things in terms of DIY from home improvement to making my own furniture, to creating simple circuit boards for various purposes. Ars is full of people who love to tinker with things more than just computers. This will allow them centralize it all and expand horizons.

I haven't seen a real need for a forum so far honestly, just a handful of people interested. Which is great, but where's the content right now? Normally we do a forum when there's content that just isn't belonging and needs a home. Am I missing it maybe?

I haven't seen a real need for a forum so far honestly, just a handful of people interested. Which is great, but where's the content right now? Normally we do a forum when there's content that just isn't belonging and needs a home. Am I missing it maybe?

Where do you expect the content to be?

Other Hardware has historically been cold to non-computer hardware related topics, locking anything that wasn't computer related with instructions to post in the lounge. And even if that policy has changed, there's nothing that really says "hackerspace" topics are now welcome.

As for the lounge, well, I wouldn't post anything in the lounge I didn't expect to be trolled on or turned into a joke. Have that happen once or twice, or see it happen to someone else, and well, I don't see my point in bothering anymore. Never mind that being sub only keeps people from posting that can't pony up the cash but may have useful contributions.

I have to agree though, there's probably not enough traffic to warrant a new forum, but there's probably at least enough interest/traffic to warrant officially broadening the scope of Other Hardware and seeing what comes of it.

I support this idea, whether "Other Hardware" is expanded to include the DIY crowd, or they get their own forum. I keep seeing a ton about this "Adurino" device over on Lifehacker and all the things you can do with one. And it really feels like something that Ars should be behind at this point, with a background in science, computer tech/building, and a little gaming, it just seems natural. It's a little out of my league personally; I have no personal interest in it, but it would be nice to see it grow.

"If you build it, they will come." If they don't, you simply move all the topics to Other Hardware. You can do that all at once, right? Then you delete the empty forum and you've lost nothing.